Peter Bogdanovich's Movie of the Week (Paperback)

~ (Author) "There's nothing like a solid musical to start the year with a smile..." (more)
Key Phrases: grand illusion, Cary Grant, New York, Orson Welles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Peter Bogdanovich's Movie of the Week is a gem of a movie guide: a whole year of guaranteed good rentals. Bogdanovich takes the reader all the way through the calendar, recommending and commenting on a worthy film every week. (Not to worry if you're reading this mid-year; while the book is divided up by date, starting with January 1-7 as Week One, it's not year-specific, so feel free to jump in wherever you are and cycle back around.) Some weeks are themed for the time of year--the movie for December 19-25 is Holiday--but most just feature darn good movies that would be a pleasure to watch any time, with choices ranging from George Cukor to John Cassavetes. Each movie is followed helpfully by additional titles to rent, organized by genre and director-star combinations, and occasionally cross-referenced with other titles in the book.

The essays are a joy to read because Bogdanovich's deep love of movies and moviemaking shines through on every page. Far from dry film commentary, he clearly wants you to enjoy the movies just as much as he does. It's like having your best friend tell you about his favorite flicks. And an incredibly well-connected friend at that; Bogdanovich is an accomplished director in his own right (his credits include Paper Moon and The Last Picture Show), and he understands the process of getting script to screen inside and out. He also knows his film lore and includes entertaining anecdotes about the selected films (the opening night audience of The Rules of the Game hated it so much that they pulled out their chairs and hurled them at the screen), and is actually able to start sentences with phrases like, "When I asked Hitchcock about this sequence...." With all this going for it, Movie of the Week is a terrific collection of rental recommendations and a truly addictive read. --Ali Davis

Product Description

A FRONT-ROW SEAT TO A YEAR'S WORTH OF MUST-SEE FILMS

Director, producer, screenwriter, author, actor, and film critic, Peter Bogdanovich knows movies. Now, in this unique new book, he shares his passion with a connoisseur's insight and delight by inviting the reader to join him for a year at the movies--fifty-two weeks, fifty-two films, fifty-two reasons to watch. Which films does Peter Bogdanovich call . . .

"The most hauntingly chilling, strangely prophetic science-fiction picture ever made."
(You'll be treated to it on Halloween)

"A scintillatingly directed comedy."
(Discover it with someone you love on Valentine's Day)

"A bittersweet human comedy of vintage genius [that] only becomes more precious as the years pass."
(Ringing in the New Year with it is reason enough to celebrate)

With recommendations specific to the seasons and holidays--from sparkling comedies, timeless musicals, landmark foreign films, powerful dramas and thrillers to legendary masterpieces and neglected treasures--Bogdanovich's eclectic cinematic calendar of classics, each available on video, each accompanied by an illuminating essay, and each followed by a list of tie-in recommendations, makes the perfect date for movielovers every week of the year.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (November 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345432053
• ISBN-13: 978-0345432056
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #688,988 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Provocative Look at Classic Cinema, January 5, 2000

By	Scott Rivers (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

As a critic and historian, Peter Bogdanovich has written about the talents behind the screen, including memorable studies on Orson Welles, Fritz Lang and Frank Tashlin. "Movie of the Week" is a fascinating series of critical and historic essays, ranging from masterworks ("Citizen Kane" and "Grand Illusion") to cult favorites ("Artists and Models" and "The Merry Widow"). His telling observations on influential silents such as "The Crowd" and "Steamboat Bill Jr." - and lesser-known filmmakers like King Vidor and Allan Dwan - make it a book worth having. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to disagree with Bogdanovich's 52 selections.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Order Who the Hell's in It and Who the Devil Made It Instead, May 23, 2006

By	J. Kim "Kobayashi-fan" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have great respect for Peter Boganovich as a director and especially as a film historian. But in comparision to his other writings such as "Who the Hell's in It" and "Who the Devil Made It," this book is a major disappointment. The reviews of the films have no substance. The pictures for the films were all placed on the pages that did not match the reviews. The photo quality was just horrible. I would recommend Roger Ebert's "Great Movie" and "Great Movie II" instead for a quality review and history of the films.